Finish The Job
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Jackson Rippner's just been stabbed in the throat with a pen and the only though on his mind is to 'finish the job'. And his job now is to kill Lisa Reisert. But when she fights him off, how does he take it? Will he come after her?
1. Chapter 1

**Finish the Job**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye!_

**Summary:** Jackson Rippner wants revenge for what Lisa has done to him. He devises an elaborate scheme to torment and kill her, but he begins to question whether or not he can finish the job.

**Chapter One**

Jackson Rippner listened intently to what the young woman was saying in the seat on his right. She was beautiful and no one would have believed that she was his latest victim to terrorize. He was a manager of high-profile assassinations and government overthrows. His assignment was to strong-arm Lisa Reisert into making a single phone call or else his associate would kill her beloved father. So far, even with the threat of her father's death, she had been nothing but an uncooperative little bitch. At least the call had finally been made and the plane flight was almost over.

"…_Ever since, I've been trying to convince myself of one thing over and over…" said Lisa, her voice disturbed by the admittance of her past._

"_That it was beyond your control…" Jackson_ _said, finishing her sentence._

"_No, that it would never happen again."_

The seatbelt sign flashed, catching his eyes, distracting him. She used the opportunity to ram a pen into his throat in an attempt to escape.

Jackson's icy blue eyes shot wide open and his throat was on fire. He could feel the tip of the pen in his windpipe, which made it incredibly hard to breathe. Oh, how it burned and the burning in his throat was akin to the deep hatred he felt towards the defiant bitch who had given him this impromptu tracheometry.

As a reflex, he swiftly grabbed her ankle as she clamored over him, trying to escape his wrath. He yanked the delicate foot and knocked her to the ground. He watched her crawl away as he stumbled from the seat, following her. She could royally fuck up his plan if she got away. Not that she would get away.

The pain. The intense, fiery pain was obscuring his male-driven, fact-based logic and his common sense. All he wanted now was to slowly kill Lisa for what she had done to him.

Jackson chased her, until one of the passengers—the annoying blonde who was trying too hard to look young and enjoyed hitting on him—noticed his injury as he crawled after his prey.

"_We need help back here!" cried the blonde, catching sight of the pen still lodged in his throat._

Shit. He was dead unless he caught her soon. It would only take a matter of minutes for her to bring the entire plan crashing down. He could not let that happen.

He pulled himself up from the ground and shuffled back to the bathroom. There, he glared into the mirror, which he had scrubbed a pathetic help message from Lisa off earlier. It was a goddamn Frankenstein pen in his throat.

"…_We have a doctor for you," said a flight attendant, clearly shocked by Jackson_'_s throat piercing. _

"_Don't speak; you wouldn't want to damage your vocal cords. Oh, it doesn't look too bad. Just the windpipe actually," said the doctor quickly—the nuisance who had helped Jackson_ _meet Lisa. Jackson_ _growled and grabbed him tightly. "It's not dangerous really. No, don't!"_

The pain was too much. Jackson ripped the pen from his throat, ignoring his half-uttered warning. He tossed the loathsome object to the ground and his right hand flew up, and firmly clamped down over the wound. He tried to alleviate the pain by adding pressure. It helped, a little.

Jackson rushed through the empty aisles until he tripped and fell.

Now his knees and his throat burned. He shot a venomous glance at the young girl who had dared to trip him. He would have killed her if Lisa was not currently getting away.

He hopped back to his feet and weaved in and out of the various persons trying to block his escape. He finally went around the blonde woman, pulling her scarf from her neck as he passed. He wished he could straggle her with it. But he could not hurt Lisa with one hand and she was going to pay for what she had done to him.

He tightly wrapped the scarf around his neck as he bowled over the lead flight attendant, when she tried to stop him. She was another person he would have killed, provided that he had the time.

Jackson tried not to appear rushed or angry. Which was hard to do, because his throat was killing him. He doubted he could talk much, and it certainly would burn more.

Before he tucked the ends of the scarf into his shirt, he realized that his cell phone was missing. The Reisert bitch had managed to snag it from him.

She was going to die. Both her and her father would die if he could have anything to do with it.

There she was; right in front of him. She had changed her shirt, not that it would stop him. Jackson had followed Lisa for eight weeks before their flight, and he felt that he knew her better than she probably knew herself. There was no way she could hide from him.

Lisa suddenly noticed him and took off. The chase was on and she had the advantage because Jackson was having a hard time breathing and oh, the burning. His throat was really burning him with each attempted breath.

He chased her through the airport, through the crowds and up and down stairs. He began to close in on her as they neared the shuttle. She tripped and fell to the ground. Jackson felt a rush of joy. He was close—so very close!

That was before she hopped on the shuttle and the doors slammed in his face.

Jackson jogged to the window, his breathing heavy and raspy. He glared at her, as the shuttle sped away down the rails, leaving him behind. He would catch her soon. She would not win this battle.

* * *

Jackson snuck in around the back, using the key that Joe Reisert unwittingly left under the rock near the back door, allowing him access to their home. They were making it far too easy for him. He waited in the kitchen, waited for one of them to fall into his trap. He could hear their voices in the study.

"_I'll get the first aid kit," said Joe Reisert, before leaving the room._

Now was his chance. Joe came into the kitchen and whack—Jackson head-butted him and knocked the older man out cold. He never saw it coming. With a grin, Jackson laid the body quietly on the floor and entered the hallway to wait for Lisa.

"_Hi," he croaked, when she left the study and noticed him._

"_Dad?" she called, hoping that Joe was nearby and would save her from the manic in front of her._

"_Oh, he's not dead. I wanted him to see what I was going to do to you first."_

Lisa bolted and Jackson gave chase. She may have home field advantage, but Jackson was quick on his feet and should be able to easily counter anything she tried. He was going to finish the job.

They ended up in the kitchen, at opposite ends of the island.

"_You see Lisa? I never lie," Jackson_ _spoke, referring to Joe and to everything._

"_Okay, so, is this personal now?_

"_Just finishing the job," he stated._

"_Well, you're too late," Lisa informed him. "Everyone's alive. In that hotel, every single person is alive! What, you didn't know? You failed, Jack!"_

"_I'll finish the job," rasped Jackson, trying desperately to keep his cool._

"_Not in my house!" challenged Lisa before taking off again, and pulling a chair behind her. _

Jackson tripped. He cursed Lisa inside his head. Why did she have to be the one who fought back?

Fueled by his anger, Jackson found the strength to chase Lisa through the house. He was going to finish the job. He was going to catch her, and then drag her back to her father's side, wait for him to wake up and then he'd kill her, nice and slow.

He followed her up a flight of stairs and threw himself against a wall to avoid the fire extinguisher, thrown by Lisa. He started up the stairs again and this time felt a searing pain in his left thigh, as Lisa stuck her high heel into it. Then Lisa grabbed him by the shoulders and head-butted him. Jackson fell backwards, dazed, and tumbled down to the bottom landing, where he yanked the offending heel from his thigh.

Jackson stood up and locked the door to the stairs before limping towards the front of the house. No more mercy. No more waiting. He was going to kill her, right now.

He pulled his dead associate over and snitched the KA-BAR from him. Jackson preferred knives over any other type of weapon. Knife in hand, he limped up the main stairs, searching room-by-room for Lisa when a crash drew his attention downstairs to the kitchen. Jackson hurried back down the main stairs.

Lisa was not going to get away. She was going to die by his hands.

He made it to the kitchen, where he noticed that Joe Reisert was missing. Shit. Lisa must have moved him.

"_Hey," called Lisa's voice from behind him, seconds before she tossed a green vase at his head._

Jackson shielded his head with his arms, blocking the shards of glass. Lisa took off, heading up the main stairs. He followed her and just missed her, as she slammed and locked a door in his face.

Finish the job. He had to finish the job.

He worked his knife between the door and the jam, attempting to break the lock. Lisa taunted him from behind the door.

"_Where's your male-driven, fact-based logic now, Jack? I don't think that's what got you here. Do you hear me?"_

Jackson focused on the task at hand. Break through the door and kill Lisa. It was really simple. He finally made it through the door, opened it, and found nothing. Lisa was gone, hiding from him again.

She might be able to run and hide right now, but it was only a matter of time before he caught her. He was going to win.

* * *

Jackson slipped behind the open bedroom door as Lisa answered the ringing phone. He would give Lisa the biggest shock of her life when she went to go close the door. She was never going to get away. She was his to kill and he would kill her.

There was no escaping Jackson Rippner.

Lisa was turned away from him when she opened the door. She screamed and swatted at him with the field hockey stick. He blocked her blows and dealt a few of his own with the knife.

She managed to hit him hard in the knee, and then the back, knocking him towards the bed. Jackson rolled away from her blows—fuck, that stick hurt! He crashed into the floor and reached towards the fallen blade, only to have her whack his hand hard and hit the knife away.

His plan was falling to pieces. How was he going to finish the job now?

He got to his feet and managed to separate the fierce fighter from the deadly stick and pinned her against the wall. She struggled and nothing pleased him more. He did enjoy killing more when they fought. Something about the thrill of the chase, the capture, and finally, the death.

"_You're pathetic," shot Lisa._

Jackson gave her a sadistic grin before he flipped her over the stairs. She needed to share the pain that coursed through his body a little bit more before he killed her.

Lisa lay at the bottom of the steps, battered and broken. Jackson would have no trouble killing her now. Except that as he limped down the stairs, after reclaiming the knife, she started to crawl away. Where did she think that she was going now? There was nowhere left to run or hide.

The sirens in the distance caught his attention. There was no way he would be able to finish the job the way he wanted to that day. He would have to come back another time. Lisa was not about to get away from him.

It was better to cut his losses for the day and start fresh another time. A time when he could have it all planned out.

"_We'll talk again," he said, glancing towards the door._

"_Don't move," was all she said as she aimed the silenced gun at him._

He cocked his head and smiled at her. As much as he wanted to finish the job, he did not feel like getting shot today and/or caught by the police. He lunged towards the door and she fired, startling him. He had not expected her to shoot.

With one well-placed kick, the gun flew from her hands and Jackson was back in the game. So much for waiting. He would finish the job then and be done with it.

But Joe Reisert had other plans. Just as Jackson stepped over top of her and dragged her up by her soft hair, Joe shot the younger man, throwing him to the ground.

Jackson lay there, breathing ragged and heavy from the pen. His chest and stomach hurt now from the bullets. He would kill them when he had the chance again. There would be no escape the next time.

Next time, he would finish the job.

**Author's Notes:**

This will just be a quick story, mainly Jackson-centric. This is not the sequel to my other Red Eye story. That story will be up on Saturday. Next update coming tomorrow or the following day!


	2. Chapter 2

**Finish The Job**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Two**

Revenge was always on his mind. He would have his revenge on the one who got away and the one who ruined his reputation. Because of Lisa, his life was in danger. She had screwed up the job and now he would have to deal with her to save his own life. He had to finish the job he had begun three months earlier on the red eye flight. He had to kill her and it would be a calculated and painfully slow death after what she had done.

As soon as he had healed, Jackson had escaped from the hospital. No one had ever known his name or what he had done. Lisa had never visited him and given that information, and Jackson pretended to be unable to talk. He was not about to incriminate himself and make life harder.

Jackson wasted no time in tracking Lisa down. She tried to make it hard by alternating routes to and from work, switching hours around, and switching houses. But she was still incredibly predictable and boring. The only thing that had changed (much to his surprise) from the first time that he had stalked her was that she was dating!

Why wouldn't someone want to go out with her? She was gorgeous; he would give her that. But she was a two-faced bitch. One minute she would be shy and sweet, and the next, she would be jamming a pen into your throat. His throat still burned to this very day and it was still hard to talk even though it was completely healed.

He fell into a routine of watching her. Each and every time he saw her, he imagined what it would be like to kill her, to have her fight back, and beg for her life. She probably would beg by the end. The control and the power he would have soon over her was, well, empowering. Surprisingly, his thoughts about her demise helped him focus on the objective.

Until one night, he lost his cool and made his first mistake.

Lisa was having dinner at the apartment of the man she was now dating. Jackson had watched the two of them go out several times before and something about the man worried him. He could not put his finger on it; until he saw the man in question place a drug in Lisa's wine. Then it clicked. This man was a hit man sent to kill Lisa and correct Jackson's mistake.

There was no way in hell someone else was going to kill Lisa after everything that he had been through because of her!

Jackson burst into the apartment, knife twirling in his fingers, and he struck the man repeatedly, yelling at him the entire time and releasing all the anger that he felt. He kicked the bloody corpse as well; not that it did anything except scare Lisa.

Lisa screamed when she saw Jackson enter, thinking that he was going to kill her. She had huddled in the corner of the room ever since. Jackson went over to the corner and peered down at her.

"Told you that we'd talk again, Leese. Did you miss me?" said Jackson, a sadistic smile upon his face.

"Are you gonna kill me too?"

"Aw, don't look at me like that. _He_ was going to kill you. You have a knack for attracting deadly strangers, Leese."

"And who's fault would that be, Jack?" she glared at him.

The shortened version of his name stung him worse than any slap could have. He hated being called Jack; it always reminded him of his so-called 'namesake', Jack the Ripper. It was uncanny that he was so much like the person he despised. The name was close, he had an affinity for blades, and lately all he wanted to do was rid the world of bitches such as Lisa Reisert.

"I was never attracted to you. You were attracted to me."

It was the stone-cold, honest truth. He had never liked her.

"_I never liked you, Lisa. Know why? Because it doesn't serve me…" Jackson_ _explained to her, whilst wiping her attempt at a soapy help message from the mirror._

She was nothing to him at the beginning. Now, she was a job. She was simply the means to end. This time, his job would not be getting him money, but rather allowing him to keep his life. It just so happened that he liked his life and Lisa would forfeit hers in exchange for his. Not that she had not already done so when she fought back and pissed him off.

"Why did you stop him? Why not just let him kill me? Do you have another phone call that you want me to make?" snapped Lisa, trying to cover her fear with feigned bravery. Jackson could see right through her act.

"You need to pay for what you've done before you can die, Lisa," he sneered, dragging her out of the corner by her soft, curly hair.

Lisa whimpered in pain and tried in vain to loosen his grasp upon the silky strands. He was hurting her, but he did not care. There would be a lot more than a little bit of hair pulling by the time he was done with her. By the time he finished the job, she would forget all the minor injuries inflicted upon her. Jackson was going to make her rape seem like a walk in the park, when compared to what he was planning. He would not touch her in that way, but what he planned would remind her of the parking lot incident. That was slightly intentional on his part because she had been recounting the rape, just before she cut a jagged hole in his windpipe.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" protested Lisa.

Jackson ignored her cries and pleas. He would not fall for her acts like last time. That had led to his undoing. Never again, would Jackson fall for a sob story or feel pity for a victim. Lisa had been the first and last person he had felt anything remotely emotion-like towards in years.

She had ruined that with her antics on the red eye.

He dragged her from the apartment and shoved her forcefully into the backseat of his black BMW and slammed the door. He had not been planning on kidnapping her so soon, but he would manage. Most everything was in place as it were. He would just have to make do.

It's not like Lisa was going to live much longer. Her death was already set into motion and now there was nothing Jackson could do to stop it.

* * *

Jackson drove the car to a modest home set about a block back from the water. He enjoyed being near the water but did not want the immense risk that came with waterfront property. Being slightly removed from the water worked for him.

Lisa resisted him when he opened the door to grab her and caused Jackson to lightly trace his still bloody knife over her scar. She trembled in his grasp and gave in. He smiled and wordlessly picked her up and carried her inside the house after bypassing the security.

"Home, sweet home," muttered Jackson sarcastically as they entered his house. There was nothing to indicate that anyone lived there at all—it could be a rental for all anyone knew.

"Speaking of home, can I go?" Lisa questioned.

"Go where? You're stuck with me Leese, and just remember that you did it to yourself. That's right—everything you did to me on that night has been leading up to this."

"Listen, I'm tired and I just want to go home. Haven't you already done enough damage to my life?"

"What about what you did to mine, Leese? Did you ever think about that? Fighting back had consequences."

"It never occurred to me that you would survive. I should have let dad put another hole in you when we had the chance," she said regretfully.

"You can't kill me."

"Why not?"

"Unlike me, you're not a killer. At least not intentionally. Besides, you just wanted the nightmare to end and killing me would not end it. It would intensify your nightmares and haunt you even more than I already do. You see me everywhere and in everything. Nothing doesn't remind you in some twisted way of me."

"You're a liar, Jack."

"I never lie, Lisa. Don't you remember?" Jackson asked with a smirk as he placed his right hand around her slender throat and squeezed.

"I can't breathe!" gasped the young woman, fighting his grip. Jackson tightened once more for a few seconds and then released her.

"I warned you."

"And since when have I listened to you?"

"You should start."

"You should stop trying to kill me," shot Lisa.

He really wanted to kill her right then and there. If only she did not deserve a painful death, then she would have already been dead. She was a nuisance that needed to go.

"If you are so 'tired', then how about you stop fighting me and go to sleep?" suggested Jackson, after throwing her onto the couch.

"So you can kill me?"

"I promise that I won't kill you will you sleep or even try to," sighed Jackson. If she would at least take a nap, then he could finish up with a few minor precautions and be able to handle her when she was fully awake.

Lisa eyed him warily before turning her back to him and curling up on the couch to sleep. She was too tired to give a damn. He was tired too, but the anticipation kept him awake.

He could not wait to finish the job.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry if this is an odd chapter. This part of the story was my cousin's suggestion—not my idea. She wanted Lisa to fall asleep and her boyfriend to be a hit man. That's just the beginning of her demands. She's given me a bare-bones plot outline and this story is going to be her Christmas present because it is going to end up exactly how she wants it. Next chapter soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Finish The Job**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Three**

When Lisa woke up from her little nap, Jackson was asleep on the floor, his blue eyes partially open. Assuming he was sound asleep, Lisa went to step over him and he grabbed her foot and pulled her down to the ground. Lisa yelped in surprise.

Like he would really fall asleep and leave her to her own devices. She needed to give him more credit than that. He may be exhausted, but he was no fool.

"Nice try," Jackson hissed at her, as he forcefully grabbed her wrists, and yanked her to her feet.

"Why thank you, Jack," she replied with a smile.

Jackson was seething with anger. Any use of his nickname was liable to set him off. He head-butted her without a second thought and grinned as she passed out in his arms.

Lisa was not going to get away from him a second time. She had made an idiotic fool of him last time. She would not win this time. She would die this time, like she should have in her home. He should have killed her that day and saved himself a lot of trouble. He should have killed her right after she made the phone call. Lisa Reisert was nothing but trouble.

Twenty minutes later, she came around with a loud moan.

"Haven't you learned your lesson yet, Leese? You can't win, so stop trying and start cooperating," Jackson explained to her, annoyed.

"And where will that get me?" Lisa questioned sarcastically. "A shallow grave?"

"If you don't cooperate, then yeah."

Lisa shivered involuntarily, causing Jackson to smile. "You would kill me, wouldn't you…" stated Lisa sadly.

He hated females and their emotions. He knew exactly what she was trying to do and it was not happening again. He was not going to feel pity for her again. He was not going to feel anything but pleasure at her death.

"Come along, Leese," Jackson sang, yanking her up and pulling her along. He led her upstairs and down a hallway. He did not stop moving until they reached a bright room. "There's your room."

"What?"

"This is where you'll be living. Enjoy," he smirked before shoving her inside and locking the heavy wooden door on the outside.

He listened to her attempts to break down the strong door and her screams of frustration. She would not easily accept the fact that there was no escape from his house. All the windows were sealed shut and not with tacky nails. All of the main doors required a code to enter or exit, or else an alarm would go off. Plus, Jackson would be keeping her away from the doors. He had taken great care to prepare for Lisa's arrival. He had bought her new clothes, her favorite shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, soap, lotion, and whatever else she needed. He had been sure to remove any potentional weapons from her room and in all the other rooms that she may be given access to.

Jackson planned to let her live in a style to which she would easily become accustom to. He would check with his employers about her and see if they needed Lisa for anything else before he killed her. As soon as he got the okay, he would begin his meticulously planned torture of Lisa.

* * *

"Lisa, are you hungry?" Jackson questioned a while later, knocking on the door that led to her bedroom. He did not want to invade her space, yet he needed to check on her.

"Go away!" Lisa replied, sounding not unlike a teenager.

"Do you want to eat or not? It's really a rather simple question, Leese."

He really should not care if she ate or not, but he could not have her dying before he was ready. It would mess up his plan and Lisa had already done that too many times.

"I guess I want to eat," she muttered.

That was a good enough answer for him. Jackson unlocked the door and prepared for her to make a break for it. Oddly enough, she was nowhere near the door. Lisa was not trying to escape for once. What a surprise. Instead, she was curled upon the pink spread that was identical to the one at her dad's.

"Leese? What are you planning on doing to me now?" questioned Jackson, entering the room warily and plopping down on the bed beside her.

"Nothing. I just want to know why you went to all this trouble. Why did you do this?"

"To make you comfortable. You're going to be here for a while."

"But why? Why did it have to be my life that you ruined?" Lisa questioned, tears in her eyes as she looked at Jackson. "Why did you pick me? Why come back after me?"

"It was always business and it still is business, Leese. Nothing more."

"You say that, but I don't believe it."

What was it with women? Always 'reading between the lines' and crap. They needed to find better ways to use their time. Lisa needed to see a psychologist or something if she thought that he meant something by singling her out. He just wanted to finish the job. He did not love her or anything mushy like that. He could not stand the bitch, who had single-handedly destroyed his life and job thanks to one plane flight.

Plus, he never had feelings. All he had was logic. Feelings were allusions, nothing more. And he prided himself on being emotionless, so even if he felt bad for her, he could not afford to show it. If he had ever felt the slightest bit of attraction towards Lisa, he would have written it off as a fluke and forgotten it. Not that he would have felt anything, like she seemed to believe.

Right? He was a professional and had a job to finish. Nothing would get in the way of finishing the job.

Jackson still wanted to strangle Lisa for her audaciousness. There was no way in hell that he liked her. If she was not already crying, he would have choked her and knocked her around a little bit. But something stopped him. Was his cold heart finally warming up enough to allow him to feel real emotions?

He was sure that he hated her—she had nearly killed him with her antics. Then why was he feeling so conflicted?

"You don't understand your feelings, do you?" Lisa whispered, the tears ceasing, as she slid closer to Jackson, meeting his piercing blue-eyed gaze.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in me? I'm keeping you here against your will, remember?"

"You don't hate me, as much as you'd like to believe it."

Why was she so convinced that she was right? Why did she care? Didn't she hate him as well?

He felt her lips on his and his blue eyes went wide in surprise. What possessed her to do this? Was she insane or high? If he did not know any better, he would have suspected that she was doing drugs. But she wasn't.

"No, Leese," he hissed, pushing her away from him. "I'm not falling for your tricks again."

**Author's Notes:**

It's a little on the short side, but I didn't have much for this part and for the next chapter either. The final chapter should be pretty long though. I finally figured out exactly what I want to happen throughout the story and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out and what everyone thinks. This chapter is a turning point in the story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finish The Job**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Four**

The sooner he killed Lisa, the better it would be for him. He could get his life back and stop playing games with his emotions. With her gone, he would not need to try and figure anything out. He could just remain the way he always had been and ignore everything like he always had done.

He just needed the okay from his employers.

Jackson slipped a cell phone from his pocket and dialed his employer's contact number. It rang five times before anyone picked up.

"Ah, Rippner, what can I do for you today?" questioned his employer.

"I was wondering if you needed the Reisert bitch anymore or if I could just kill her," Jackson said lazily, making sure that he spat out her name in distaste.

"You can't kill her just yet because we still need her. Meet us tomorrow, 7am, at the marina near your place. Pier 3 and don't worry—we'll find you."

A click sounded as his employer hung up. Jackson sighed loudly, frustrated.

He just wanted to finish the job and finish it his own way. It gone on long enough and he was not sure how much more he could take.

A loud thud caught his attention and Jackson sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He flew down the hallway and unlocked Lisa's bedroom door, praying that she had not done something that she would regret.

"What happened?" he questioned as a dazed Lisa looked up at him from the floor beside the bed.

"I don't know," admitted Lisa, rubbing her head. "One minute I was on the bed and the next…"

"Are you okay?"

Where did that come from? A minute again he had been whining about not being able to kill her soon enough and now he was concerned? Maybe _he_ needed to see a psychologist. That would be his goal once he eradicated Lisa from his life. He would seek professional help.

"I think so," replied Lisa, surprised as well by his voiced concern. "Jackson?"

"What? Who were you expecting?"

"I didn't expect you to listen to me. I always sensed that you weren't always who you were pretending to be. I sensed that you cared, but I never expected to you to show it."

"I still hate you, Lisa."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Jack," smirked Lisa, a behavior learned from him.

He did not know what was happening to him. Why was this one woman driving him insane? Why was she the one person that he wanted nothing more than to destroy? There were too many questions and far too few answers.

Jackson picked her up from the ground and laid her back on the bed. She lay there, smiling up at him for a few moments, before she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down on top of her. He was going to refuse, but an urge, a feeling inside of him, told him to stop fighting. It told him that he had feelings for Lisa and to play along. To forget for one blasted moment about finishing the job and to enjoy being with Lisa.

Lisa had gotten the better of him again and this time he did not give a damn.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter! It was supposed to go up yesterday, but I was sick all day and never got around to typing it up. It's a short chapter but the next chapter should be up later today, so hopefully it will tide everyone over until then.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finish The Job**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Five**

What had he done? In all of his years as a manager, he had never, never slept with a target. Especially not one that he planned on killing himself for revenge. What had he been thinking?

He hadn't been thinking. He had been _feeling_!

Now, he had seriously screwed everything up! How was he supposed to finish the job now, when Lisa thought that he loved her and she thought that she loved him? Oh, what a tangled web they had woven. The one time he tried to understand his feelings just brought him into deeper shit.

What did it matter any way? After his employer used her for his job tomorrow, she was dead anyways. He had known since he made the phone call that Lisa was going to die tomorrow. If his employer did not kill her, than he would. That had always been a part of his plan. Not really a part of it, but it had always been in the back of his mind.

Could he still finish the job? Could he knowingly lead her into a trap that would ultimately kill her? Was he heartless enough?

Not heartless, but he would kill her to stop these feelings. He would kill her to end it all, even if he loved her. There could never be a happy ending for them. He would have to finish the job if someone else did not finish it for him.

Lisa started to stir and Jackson took the opportunity to get out of the room before she woke. It was complicated enough without her speaking to him.

But he was not fast enough to escape her voice. As he was locking the bedroom door, to keep her from coming after him, he heard her call.

"Jackson?" Lisa called. "Where are you?"

Jackson tapped his head against the doorframe lightly. He thought that sneaking away was going to be easy, but her voice, her voice was haunting him. She was haunting him. He could not stop thinking about her now. His feelings were trying to take over again, telling him that he should unlock that door and go back in that room. His mind was telling him to distance himself from her.

Lisa was going to die tomorrow—no today. They were supposed to meet his employer in a little over an hour. Shit.

Jackson stumbled to his feet and finished getting dressed. He had to pull himself together before facing Lisa. He could not let her see what she did to him.

A few minutes later, Jackson slipped back into her bedroom, carrying a peace offering of scrambled eggs to apologize for his disappearance. He could not afford to have a fight with Lisa and still make the meeting.

"Leese? You awake?"

"I thought you were never coming back," whispered Lisa in surprise. "I never expected you to come back. I wasn't surprised to see you gone."

"I went to make you this," he said with a smile, presenting the tray. "Now eat up."

Jackson gave her a light kiss on the forehead before heading to her closet. It had been an incorrigible urge; kissing her. He could not help himself. His brain told him not to, yet he refused logic and went for emotion.

Lisa did not say anything and she did not have to. He understood very well what she was thinking, just as she probably understood him. They were both confused and amused by the other's actions. It was a shame that things could not stay as they were.

"Once you're done eating, please get dressed. We've got an appointment that I would hate to be late for," Jackson told her off-hand, as he placed a pile of clothes on the bed.

'Where are we going?" Lisa questioned, semi-interested.

"To the waterfront," was all Jackson said before walking out of the room, making sure to leave the door open, an invitation to the rest of the house. It was also the polite way of telling her to get going.

* * *

Not but about ten minutes later, Jackson was casually leaning against a wall near the bottom of the stairs when Lisa came down, dressed stunningly as always. Jackson could feel the corners of his mouth slowly lift and form a smile.

"Ready?" he questioned.

"Yes, but what about shoes? I couldn't find any."

"I have some in the car. Let's go," Jackson said, grabbing her arm and leading her away and out the door, which he had already unlocked.

"What's the hurry?" Lisa questioned, slightly unnerved as she slid into the passenger's seat of the black BMW.

"I don't want to be late, Leese," he insisted, though he knew that she could see straight through his defenses. He was nervous and she could tell.

"Uh huh."

Thank god that Lisa knew when to leave things alone. Or at least she knew to leave him alone at that moment. All the thoughts in his head were colliding at the moment. A part of him still wanted to kill her with his bare hands and hurt her the same way that she hurt him. Another part of him wanted to let someone else kill her and yet another part of him wanted to protect her. There could never be any type of life for Lisa and Jackson. No matter how hard they tried.

The silent car ride ended when Jackson pulled up in front of the marina. Lisa had already found her shoes and put them on.

"Let's go. Now don't say anything to them unless I nod that it's okay," Jackson told her, giving her a warning look. These were dangerous people and they would not hesitate to kill them if either of them pissed his employer or one of his employer's thugs off.

"Okay," said Lisa, voice slightly strangled. She was frightened as well, but she did not know what he was really doing. He was going to finish the job once and for all. Lisa had to die and if his employer did not kill her, than he would finish it himself.

"Good girl," he whispered as he led her down to pier 3. He did not see anyone at first but a business-type man stood up in a motorboat and he knew what the plan was.

"Always right on time. Chalk that up as one for him," laughed Jackson's employer, a slightly heavyset man.

"Why would I be late?" questioned Jackson. "She wasn't getting away again."

"I heard she could be an uncooperative bitch," shrugged a thug.

"Sit down, Leese," ordered Jackson, leading her towards a seat on the motorboat as they began to drift away from the dock at first.

Lisa shot him a questioning and accusing look. She looked as if she had been betrayed.

Finish the job. Forget about the Reisert bitch. It will all be over soon and life will go back to normal. Then you can forget all about feelings and get back to managing. Provided that they do not kill you as well…

The boat drove out deep into the waters of Miami and eventually came to a sudden, jarring stop.

"Time to go," hissed a thug, grabbing Lisa from his semi-comforting hold.

Finish the job. Finish the job. Let them end it.

"Jackson?" her pitiful voice called as the thug dragged her towards the edge.

Her hands were bound. Jackson turned away, finding himself unable to look. After all the time he had spent dreaming about killing Lisa, he still could not bring himself to watch her die. Not after having feelings for her.

"Was this your plan all along?" accused Lisa, her voice with a biting edge. "Let me start to believe that you were actually a person, then watch me drown? You haven't changed a bit since the plane, _Jack_."

There it was. She knew exactly how to set him off. She was going to die, but not without pissing him off first.

"Throw her over," ordered Jackson's employer. "It's time to loose this particular piece of evidence."

"Jackson!" screamed Lisa as she was lifted, kicking and fighting, over the rail of the boat and dangled on the side.

Finish the goddamn job!

He could not do it. He could not sit there and wait for her to die. She was his to kill at a chosen time. Lisa was his.

Jackson snapped the neck of the thug holding Lisa and grabbed her bound wrists. He yanked her back inside the boat before drawing the KA-BAR. He then slit her bounds before attacking the two other thugs and hitting his employer over the head with the handle of the knife. He would kill his employer later.

"You okay?" he questioned, voice raspy as he stopped to look at her. He was taking a short break from finishing the job.

"I'm fine," she said with a smile, unsure if she should approach him or stay away.

Jackson nodded, until a fiery pain erupted in his back in several places. His eyes went wide in recognition. He had been shot. He heard Lisa scream.

Finish the job.

The only person who bothered to attend his funeral was Lisa Reisert. She was the sole mourner, clad in black, wearing one of his jackets at she had snitched at some point during her stay at his house. She was unable to leave his place, the place where she had, for a short time, seen the real Jackson Rippner.

Jackson had been shot five times in the back by his employer. He had died in her arms, whispering three words that shook her world once more.

"Finish the job," he had rasped with his dying breath. He had told her the same time three months earlier after the red eye flight.

Lisa finished the job. She killed his employer with a gun she discovered on the deck of the boat. She killed a man for killing Jackson. She killed him and slowly piloted the boat back to Miami, a dead Jackson upon her lap.

Jackson had finished the job, in more ways than he had intended. His employer had been killed, finishing the fight started aboard the boat. He had finished falling in love with Lisa. He had finished the battle waging inside him when he was shot. He had also in many ways, killed Lisa Reisert.

He had finished the job, even though it took his life to do so. It was only the way that things would have worked out. Or at least that's what they told themselves.

**Author's Notes:**

The end! I'm going to cry now because I kill Jackson.


End file.
